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Who's Who - Sir Henry Jackson

Admiral Sir Henry Bradwardine
Jackson (1855-1929) served as British First Sea Lord from 1915-16 during
World War One.

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Jackson, who entered the
navy in 1868, attained an early reputation as a pioneer of ship-to-ship
radio technology, where he worked with Marconi, earning himself appointment
as a Fellow to the Royal Society.

From 1905-08 Jackson served
as Third Sea Lord and Comptroller of the Navy. Next came periods as
head of Portsmouth's Naval War College and the infant Admiralty War Staff in
1913.

The arrival of the First
World War in August 1914 saw Jackson work on the co-ordination of British
attacks on Germany's colonial possessions. He was selected as the
surprise successor to Admiral
Fisher upon the
latter's spectacular resignation in May 1915 (ironically, given Fisher's
known detestation for staff officers).

Despite his cordial (some
said insipid) working relationship with First Lord of the Admiralty (and
former Prime Minister)
Arthur Balfour, Jackson was widely held to be a weak First Sea Lord,
overly concerning himself with administrative matters and ineffectually
attempting to extend the
Dover Barrage.

With British naval success
at sea apparently difficult to come by calls grew for Jackson's replacement
as First Sea Lord. Consequently
Sir John Jellicoe
was appointed to replace Jackson in November 1916.

Jackson saw out the rest of
the war as King George
V's aide-de-camp and as president of the Royal Naval College at
Greenwich.

In 1919 Jackson was
appointed Admiral of the Fleet; he retired five years later. He died
in 1929.

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Saturday, 22 August, 2009Michael Duffy

'White Star' was a German mixture of chlorine and phosgene gas, so-named on account of the identification marking painted on the delivery shell casing.